據(jù)The Information 網(wǎng)站報道,Jawbone已在破產(chǎn)清算,首席執(zhí)行官侯賽因·拉赫曼則轉向一家新創(chuàng)辦的公司,名叫Jawbone健康。 向來高調又不缺錢,還受到硅谷行家們追捧的Jawbone就此倒掉,自然會議論紛紛。還好我一年前就寫好評論了,其實當時Jawbone的掙扎之勢已經(jīng)明顯。我如此判斷是有理由的: 科技孵化器Y Combinator創(chuàng)始人保羅·格雷漢姆表示,創(chuàng)業(yè)公司倒閉無非兩個原因。要么沒錢,要么創(chuàng)始人放棄。 創(chuàng)業(yè)公司沒錢時一般會人盡皆知,因為會發(fā)生得很突然。但一夜之間倒閉的例子很少。創(chuàng)業(yè)公司的死法一般很痛苦,而且會拖很久,因為保羅·格雷漢姆指出的第二種原因,即創(chuàng)始人選擇放棄往往很難做到。選擇創(chuàng)業(yè)需要巨大的勇氣和決心。即便是最基礎的工作,例如募集資本,搭建團隊,開發(fā)產(chǎn)品和找客戶等等都需要很多運氣。著名成功創(chuàng)業(yè)家“英雄歷險”般的神話故事里,往往會提到創(chuàng)始人不理會別人的質疑。 這也解釋了為何別人都清楚公司不行了,創(chuàng)始人還是會苦苦支撐很久。 現(xiàn)成的例子就是Jawbone。17年里這家公司獲得過很多成就。首先,融到了上億美元資金,很少公司能做到;開發(fā)了一些很成功的消費產(chǎn)品,包括Jambox無線音箱,同樣起名為Jawbone的藍牙頭盔,還有Up健康手環(huán)。但近年來這家“明星”公司卻接連出現(xiàn)產(chǎn)品開發(fā)遲滯,高管更迭等問題,蘋果、Fitbit等同行的競爭越發(fā)激烈,跟供應商和Fitbit打官司花費不菲,此外又趕上融資低潮估值腰斬??傊畯耐馊私嵌瓤?,情況非常糟糕。 很多熟悉創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官侯賽因·拉赫曼的人可能都勸過他及早回頭,體面退出。然而他還是帶著公司掙扎求生。此處就能看出拉赫曼的決心:哪怕Jawbone最后失敗了,也不能因為他選擇放棄。 如今雖然在清盤,拉赫曼也沒爭取所謂的體面退出。據(jù)Information報道: 知情人士透露,Jawbone聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官侯賽因·拉赫曼成立了一家新公司,名叫Jawbone健康中心,制造健康相關的硬件并提供相關服務。該人士表示,Jawbone很多員工今年早些時候已經(jīng)轉去了新公司。該人士還透露,2015年曾向Jawbone 提供3億美元資金的投資公司貝萊德在新公司里有一部分持股,成為諸多債主中唯一成功上岸的。 拉赫曼在新公司里保留了Jawbone的名字(也保留了一個原股東),似乎篤定了要將前公司的某種血脈延續(xù)下去。是的,Jawbone沒錢了,但是創(chuàng)始人并未言棄。(財富中文網(wǎng)) 譯者:Pessy 審稿:夏林 |
Jawbone is liquidating itself and Founder and CEO Hosain Rahman is moving to a new company he started called Jawbone Health, according to The Information. The demise of a company as high-profile, well-funded, and beloved by the Silicon Valley cognoscenti as Jawbone will launch a thousand thinkpieces. Lucky for me, I wrote mine a year ago, when Jawbone’s struggles were already widely apparent. The premise holds up: There are two reasons startups fail, according to Y Combinator founder Paul Graham. They run out of money, or the founders give up. We know when the former happens because it’s usually sudden. But overnight failures are rare. Instead, startups often die painful, drawn-out deaths, because Paul Graham's second reason for failure—giving up—goes against the nature of most entrepreneurs. It takes a lot of grit and determination to start a company. Even the basics—raising capital, building a team, launching a product, and signing customers—require overcoming monumental odds. The “hero’s journey” mythology of famous, successful founders always describes the way they ignored everyone who said their idea would never work. That explains why so many startup founders hang on to their dreams long after everyone else knows they’re doomed. Exhibit A is Jawbone. The company has achieved many impressive feats in its 17 years of existence. It has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, something very few companies do, and it created and launched a number of successful consumer products, including the Jambox wireless speaker, its namesake wireless Bluetooth headsets, and the Up fitness band. But in recent years the “can't-miss” company has struggled with product delays; executive reshufflings; increased competition from Apple and Fitbit, costly lawsuits with its supplier, and Fitbit; and a down round that cut the company’s valuation in half. From the outside, it all adds up to an ugly picture. Plenty of people close to founder and CEO Hosain Rahman have probably advised him to give up and make a graceful exit. Instead, his company continues to fight for its life. It’s the sort of thing that shows Rahman’s determination: If Jawbone fails, it won’t be because he gave up. Even in liquidation, Rahman isn't making a so-called graceful exit. From The Information's report: Jawbone co-founder and CEO Hosain Rahman has founded a new company called Jawbone Health Hub that will make health-related hardware and software services, according to the person. Many employees of Jawbone moved to the new firm earlier this year, the person said. Jawbone Health will service Jawbone’s devices going forward, said the person. BlackRock, which loaned Jawbone $300 million in 2015 and is the only secured creditor, received a stake in the new firm, the person said. By keeping the Jawbone name (and one shareholder) at his new effort, Rahman appears determined to make some version of his company live on. Jawbone is out of money. But it's founder isn't giving up. |